If you were here for just one NEARfest, all thirteen, or any number in between, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for turning musical dreams into lifetime musical memories. With your presence, you also turned online acquaintanceships into lifetime friendships and in some cases lifetime loves. While the festival itself has run its natural course, we trust the musical and social connections will live on. We know for certain that there will always be musicians with open minds, big ears, and bigger hearts who are not satisfied to write simple protest, love, or dance songs. They will continue to create and compose and push the sonic envelope. While progressive rock might change and morph away from its original sonic palette, it will live. Keep your ears peeled and your spirit open, and you might be surprised by what you hear.

Now, dear NEARfest, go gently into the good night. Music is not static, it has to have a beginning, and an end. You’ve been a shining light of friendship and passion and music for thousands of people, artists and attendees alike. For us in the brain trust, who brought you into the world, you’ve provided some low lows and massive frustrations but you’ve also brought us face-to-face with exalted peak experiences we will remember until our dying days. We’ll always be proud of what we accomplished together. We wouldn’t change a thing. Everything happened as it should. Circumstances saw to it that we return once more to see you off properly, with one final blaze of glorious progressive music. Farewell, old friend.